The present invention generally resides in the art of balloon devices and accessories. More particularly, the present invention relates to a valve and retainer assembly for a latex balloon, and its method of use.
The use of latex balloons as decorations for parties, celebrations, grand openings, and other events is well known, and millions of balloons are so used each year. At many of these events, a substantially large number of latex balloons are decoratively employed, and, many times, the latex balloons are printed with indicia that is particular to the specific event. In such cases, the balloons are special ordered, at significant expense. Decorating the event may also entail a significant expense inasmuch as a great amount of time and effort is required to fill these latex balloons and affix them to ribbons or balloon sticks, for display at the event. Thus, manufacturers involved with providing such balloons have endeavored to provide latex balloons with valves that avoid the need for tying balloon necks to retain gas therein, and increase the rate at which these balloons might be filled with gas and attached to ribbons or sticks, as desired. The prior art valve and retainer assemblies, however, are quite complex, and are undesirably difficult to manufacture, assemble, and use. Thus, there is a need in the art for a valve and retainer assembly that is easy to manufacture, assemble, and use in filling latex balloons.
The valves that are currently employed in the art are significantly heavy, such that, when these valves are associated with latex balloons that are filled with helium or other lighter-than-air gases, the lift factor of these balloons, typically measured in hours of float time, is significantly decreased. Many times, these valves will also alter the balance of a balloon as it floats at the end of a ribbon. Thus, there also exists a need in the art for a valve and retainer assembly for a latex balloon that has a minimal impact on the lift factor of a lighter-than-air balloon, and which allows the balloon to be attached to a ribbon without significantly altering the orientation at which the balloon floats.
Additionally, valves of the prior art are difficult to inflate, requiring significant pressures to force the inflation gas past the valve and into the balloon. Thus, there exists a need in the art for a valve that allows for inflation under low pressures, even so low as to allow for normal mouth inflation of balloons through the valve.
In general, the present invention provides a valve and retainer assembly for a balloon including a valve body and a disk valve inserted therein. The valve body includes a stem portion and a retainer portion. The stem portion is hollow from a first end to a second end thereof, and the retainer portion includes a sealing shoulder that extends radially from the second end of the stem portion. The retainer portion provides a disk valve aperture and at least one fill aperture, both of which communicate with the hollow of the stem portion. The retainer portion further includes an annular ring that extends above the sealing shoulder, around a perimeter thereof, to define a recess above the sealing shoulder and below the top of the annular ring. The annular ring also extends below the sealing shoulder, around the perimeter of the sealing shoulder, to provide an annular shoulder below the sealing shoulder. The disk valve includes a flexible flapper disk that has a top surface and a bottom surface and a plug extending from the bottom surface. The plug is retained by the disk valve aperture, such that the flapper disk rests within the recess defined above the sealing shoulder, and the bottom surface of the flapper disk covers the at least one fill aperture in the sealing shoulder.
To use the valve and retainer assembly, the mouth of a latex balloon, which is typically defined by a rolled portion of balloon material, is stretched over the annular shoulder that is provided below the sealing shoulder by the annular ring. The configuration of the valve and retainer assembly is such that gas pressure applied through the hollow of the stem portion, against the bottom surface of the flapper disk, will cause the flapper disk to flex to allow gas to flow from the hollow of the stem portion upwardly through the at least one fill aperture. When a balloon is fixed to the valve and retainer assembly as just described, gas flowing through the hollow of the stem portion in this manner will fill the balloon, while the pressure of the gas within the balloon will apply pressure against the top surface of the flapper disk to cause the flapper disk to seal against the at least one fill aperture and prevent gas from flowing out from the balloon into the hollow of the stem portion. Thus, the flapper disk acts as a oneway valve that allows a balloon affixed to the valve and retainer assembly to be filled with gas and sealed, without tying the neck of the balloon. This significantly increases the speed at which multiple latex balloons might be filled from a pressurized gas source and, thereafter, employed to decorate a particular event.
Thus, it is envisioned that entities desiring to employ a great number of balloons in decorating an event would desire to have the valve and retainer assemblies of this invention provided with balloons and/or ribbons or balloon sticks affixed thereto, while the balloon is in an un-inflated state, such that mass quantities of un-inflated balloons could be provided to such an end consumer, who, upon receipt, could easily inflate the balloons and decorate the event. With this undersanding in mind, the present invention also provides, in combination, a balloon and a valve and retainer assembly for a balloon comprising: a balloon including a neck portion having a mouth defined by a rolled portion of balloon material; and a valve and retainer assembly including: a valve body having a stem portion and a retainer portion, said stem portion being hollow from a first end to a second end thereof, said retainer portion including a sealing shoulder extending radially from said second end of said stem portion and providing a disk valve aperture and at least one fill aperture, both said disk valve aperture and said at least one fill aperture communicating with the hollow of said stem portion, and a annular ring extending above said sealing shoulder, around a perimeter thereof, such that said sealing shoulder is recessed below a top of said annular ring, and further extending below said sealing shoulder, around said perimeter thereof, to provide an annular shoulder below said sealing shoulder; and a disk valve including a flexible flapper disk having a top surface and a bottom surface and a plug extending from said bottom surface of said flapper disk, wherein said plug is retained by said disk valve aperture such that said flapper disk rests within said recess defined above said sealing shoulder, and said bottom surface of said flapper disk covers said at least one fill aperture in said sealing shoulder, wherein said rolled portion of balloon material defining said mouth is received under said annular shoulder provided by said annular ring.